Process of harvesting



Oct. 23, 1934. w, E; URSCHEL PROCESS OF HARVESTING Filed Jan. 20, 1950Patented Oct. 23, 1934 PROCESS OF HARVESTING William E. Urschel,Valparaiso, Ind.

Application January 20,

10 Claims.

The present invention relates to a method of harvesting and particularlyof bean harvesting and has to do with the removal of the bean and otherplants from the ground, and of separating pods from plant stalks.

The invention maybe accomplished mechanically by a machine illustratedin the applicants Bean harvester application for Letters Patent whichwas filed February 23, 1929, and given Serial Number 342,032.

Included in the objects ofthe invention, among others, are the followingA new and novel process of harvesting plants and when desired, removingpods therefrom.

A new and novel process for removing pods from harvested stalkscomprising the steps of hooking or raking, the stalks, generally, in onedirection beginning at one end thereof, and thereafter moving in theopposite direction over the stalk for its entire length.

These, and such other objects as may herein.- after appear, are obtainedby the novel process described in the following specification, having asa part thereof a drawing in which:--

Figure 1 diagrammatically illustrates the principle of operation of theprocess and the relative steps therein when practiced by mechanicalmeans;

Figure 2 diagrammatically illustrates pickers and a'stalk carrier andtheir relative speed for mechanically carrying out the present process;and

Figure 3 is a detail, in cross section, of the pickers and a stalkcarrier such as is shown in Figure 2.

Like reference characters are used to designate similar parts in thedrawing and in the description hereinafter given.

When the process is carried out mechanically, as it may be economically,there may be suitably mounted upon a machine, two oppositely disposedstalk puller frames B. When such stalk pullers are used, the stalkpuller frames B are held upon the machine in a spaced relation.

Each stalk puller B has a chain in which is mounted a puller chain Cwhich is an endless band of yieldingmaterial such as rubber. Anysuitable motive power may be used to drive the adjacent sections of thechain C rearwardly at the same speed at which the machine travelsforwardly.

Mouned in front of the stalk puller B is a pod lifting device A havingan endless pod lifter chain of the same construction as the stock pullerchain. The pod lifter chain, however, is provided with a plurality ofhorizontally projecting bristles which are positioned to run closetogether in proximity to the ground whereby to raise any plant pods orstalks which are prostrate on the ground.

1930, Serial No. 421,971

When it is not possible to lift the plant pods above the grip of thestalk puller chain and the ean pods pass between the chains C, thetension on the puller chains should be reduced to such an extent thatthe pressure of the puller chains will not be enough to bruiseor mashthe bean pods.

The stalk pullers B act also as a conveyor to carry the plant stalks toa position where they may be grasped by a stalk carrier E, while a plowD under the puller-chain acts as a means for raising the plant stalksfrom the ground concurrently with grasping of the plants by the stalkpullers B. Such plow D may be pivoted on studs as shown for adjustment.

To grip and convey the stalks while the pods are being picked therefrom,the stalk carrier or holder E may be mounted to the rear of the stalkpullers B in such a manner that the bean stalks are grasped and conveyedrearwardly after being released by the stalk pullers B. To permit pickerfingers to pass through the stalk as low as possible, the stalk of theplant is grasped by its root portion which extends below the stalkpullers B. The construction of the stalk holder E is similar to that ofthe stalk puller B, it also having sprockets and carrier chains.

There may be mounted to the rear of the stalk carrier E a stalkdischarge F which is adapted to grasp the stalks as they are released bythe stalk holder E and convey them rearward as the top portion of thestalk is being recombed by additional pickers. The stalk discharge Falso acts as a means to evacuate the picked stalks from the machine.charge F may be similar to the stalk puller B.

Pod pickers may be mounted over the stalk carrier, and additionalpickers may be disposed over the stock discharge.

The pod pickers may thus comprise two sections, a forward section G, anda rear section I-I. Each section may include two oppositely disposedrevolving picker drums which have fingers adapted to hook under the stemof the bean pod and pull it loose from the bush.

The picker fingers, may have a cross sectionas shown in Figure 3, andconsist of a strip having a through the bean stalk beginning at the topof the stalk and gradually working down to the bot tom. As the pickerspass through the stalk, the fingers of the pickers hook under the stemof the bean pod between the pod and the stalk and pull the pod free fromthe stalk.

Said forward section G of pickers act more as In construction, the stalkdis hooks due to the width of the space between the picker fingers whichwill permit the pods to pass between the fingers. These pickers shouldpass through the stalk without severely jerking the 5 stalks or pullingthem from the grip of the stalk carrier. After the forward section G ofpickers has passed through the bean stalk the greater part of the beanpods are pulled and the clusters of leaves and pods are broken up. It isthen possible to have the fingers of ,the rear section H of pickers setclosely enough together that a bean pod will not pass between thefingers. Thus the remaining bean pods are combed from the stalkbeginning at the bottom and gradually working to the top.

Referring to the diagrammatical view disclosed in Figure 2, the line T-Urepresents the plane through which the picker fingers travel. The

. line R-W indicates a position of a bean stalk after a movement of TS.For the picker fingers to pass through the bean stalk with the leastamount of resistance, the relative speed of the picker fingers and stalkcarrier should be such that should point T, representing a point on thel plane of the picker fingers TW, and line TZ, move to a new position atpoint W, it will fall on line R-U on the new position of the bean stalk.Thev speed at which the stalk is 'carried by the ,stalk carrier shouldbe the same as the speed at which thepicker finger moves rearwardly. Thespeed at whichthe fingers may be made to move rearwardly may beregulated by changing the angle at which the drive, plates of thepickers are A mounted in respect to the stalk carrier.

A harvester comprising the several elements illustrated may be propelledon its own power down a row of bean stalks so that suchmachine passesover the row with the line where the two I endless puller chains runtogether registering 5 with the bean row. When the severalinstrumentalities are operated along a row in this manner,

all of the instrumentalities being driven by one or more prime movers insynchronism, or other instrumentalities are similarly operated, thebristles in the pod lifter A, brush the bean pods up from the ground andlift and maintain the prostrate stalks in an upright position.

The bean stalks are next engaged, adjacent to the ground, by an endlessrubber tired puller chain C or like instrumentality. The bean stalks arelifted from the ground. The plow or lifter D, passing under the beanrow, assists the stalk puller B in raising the bean stalks from theground.

As the bean stalks are lifted from the ground,

they are elevated and concurrently conveyed to a position where they aregrasped at the roots by a stalk carrier E. As the stalks are conveyedrearwardly by the stalk carrier, picker fingers C pass through the topof the stalk and gradually work down until the complete stalk is combed.The stalk may then be grasped by the stalk discharger F to be conveyedfurther rearwardly.

At this instant, the pickers over the discharger F begin to recomb thebush beginning at the bottom and gradually working to the top until thestalk has been recombed by the pickers and all the pods removed from thestalk.

When conditions are favorable, as when the bean stalks are standing ingood shape, the pod lifting attachment A may be omitted withoutaffecting the performance of the machine. When the ground is soft andother conditions are favorable, the plow D also may be omitted. A stalkpuller B is capable of pulling the bean stalks without the aid of theplow under favorable conditions.

I claim:

1. A process of harvesting pod plants which comprises the steps oflifting the pods, gripping the stalks therebeneath, conveying the stalksand pods in a rectilinear path within a plane common to the axis of suchstalks, and combing the stalks at an angle diverging from said plane.

2. A process of harvesting pod plants which comprises the steps oflifting the pods, gripping the stalks therebeneath, conveying the stalksin a path within a plane common to the axes of said stalks, and hookingthe pods therefrom while being so conveyed, the hooking movement beingdivergent from said plane at the section thereof traversed by said path.

3. A process of harvesting which comprises the steps of brushingvertically the lower foliage of pod plants, gripping the plant adjacentto the ground, elevating the plant from the ground, gripping the plantat its roots when elevated and conveying the plant thereby, and hookingthe pods from the plant while so-held.

4. A process of harvesting comprising the steps of brushing verticallythe lower portions of the foliage of pod plants, gripping the plantsadjacent to the ground and beneath said brushed portions breaking theground about the roots of said plants, conveying the plants by theirroots, and raking the pods from the plants while held by the roots.

5. In bean harvesting, the steps of pulling bean pods from a stalk bybeginning at the top of the plant and working downwardly to the bottomof the stalk, and thereafter working upwardly from the bottom to the topof such stalks.

6. In bean harvesting, the steps of gripping bean plants, and of pullingthe bean pods from a stalkso held by combing from the top of the stalkdownwardly to the bottom of said stalks and subsequently combing fromthe bottom thereof to the top.

'7. In a harvesting process, the steps of gripping the plants, movingthe plants along a rectilinear path, and combing the plants while movingin said path and angularly thereto to compensate for the travel of theplant during the combing operation.

8. That process of harvesting which comprises moving plants along arectilinear path, and treating said plants with a device movingsubstantially axially to said plants and angularly to the path of themovement of said plants, such treatment being had with the speed of saiddevice synchronizing with the movement of said plants along said pathwhereby to prevent angular disturbance of the plants with respect tosuch path.

9. A process of harvesting pod plants that comprises the steps ofgripping said plants beneath the pods thereon, conveying said plants ina plane common to the axis of the stalks thereof, and combing saidplants at an angle to such plane during such conveyance.

' 10. A process of harvesting pod plants and which comprises the stepsof gripping said plants beneath the pods thereon to hold said plants ina substantially upright position, conveying the upright plantshorizontally within a vertical plane, and combing said plants upwardlyobliquely from the vertical during such conveyance.

WILLIAM E. URSCHEL.

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